Mumbai Zoo: Birds in free flight

08. May / 2020

On around 1,700 square meters, the impressive aviary houses around 100 species of birds, including both domestic birds and rare and exotic specimens. Carried by five round arches, a filigree stainless steel cable network construction made of X-TEND by CARL STAHL ARCHITEKTUR with a surface area of ​​3,000 square meters spans the system at a height of up to 13.5 meters. The large volume of enclosures offers the animals plenty of space to fly freely as part of a species-appropriate husbandry. So that the birds are not hindered in their trajectory by additional steel supports, a rope-based support structure keeps the network structure under tension.

Design close to nature

Carefully modeled on the natural habitat of the birds, the planners created a landscape inside the aviary with waterfalls, streams, nesting and retreat opportunities, as well as a corresponding stock of trees and plants. Visitors walk across bridges and paths through the enclosure and can observe the animals up close in the natural environment. With a rope diameter of two millimeters and a mesh width of 40 millimeters, the spanning stainless steel rope net construction made of X-TEND by CARL STAHL ARCHITECTURE appears light and transparent. This gives the zoo visitor the impression of being outdoors. Because weather, the time of day and the season can be experienced by humans and animals alike.

Service from planning to assembly

The new aviary in the Mumbai Zoo is part of the extensive renovation of the zoo, built in 1861, in the Byculla district, south of the center of the Indian metropolis. A total of 17 new enclosures for different animal species are being built here, and existing facilities are being extensively modernized. The Udyan Byculla Zoo is home to a large number of rare and endangered animal species as well as some of the oldest trees in the region. For the walk-in aviary, Carl Stahl Architecture took care of the static calculation, planning and delivery as well as the detailed connection and assembly planning of the stainless steel cable networks and provided support during assembly on site.

Modern zoo architecture with X-TEND

X-TEND by Carl Stahl Architecture opens up a wide range of design options for modern zoo architecture. The pre-stressed stainless steel cable net constructions combine safety and aesthetics, they are robust and durable and, thanks to their transparent structure, offer almost barrier-free views and outlooks. The connection of robust stainless steel ropes to a network of non-positively pressed rhombuses creates a special, flexible rope network structure that absorbs heavy loads and allows a wide range of applications. Formally minimized, the lightweight structures form their own design language, which is always based on the requirements of animal species, topography, usability and visitor attractiveness. Walk-in free-flight aviaries with X-TEND by CARL STAHL ARCHITEKTUR are a special experience for zoo visitors. Freely accessible through locks, humans and animals come close to each other without barriers. For the birds, the huge volume of space that can be realized with the rope net constructions means maximum freedom of movement within the enclosure. In this way, X-TEND creates the link between animal husbandry that is as species-appropriate as possible and attractiveness for visitors, as well as sustainability and cost-effectiveness, thereby setting standards in zoo enclosure construction.